Blackbird
by PoisonousPixie
Summary: Raven has a secret from the rest of the Titans. What is she willing to do to keep it? And what will she do when she discovers that she's not the only one with demons? BBxRae
1. Blackbird singing

A/N: This is my first fic, so please be kind, but I welcome constructive notes. Thank you! Xo -Pix

* * *

Not all teenagers are demonic spawns who spent weekends in another dimension as kids, but all teenagers have secrets. Raven was no different. Titan Tower was Raven's home now and her teammates were her family. They knew the young demoness better than anyone else could boast, but this didn't stop them from prying into her life on occasion.

Robin called from the far end of the couch "Where did you go last night, Raven?"

Raven's hand stilled in the midst of stirring her tea. The spot where her second set of eyes would be tingled in an unpleasant way. "What do you mean? I was in my room meditating."

She could feel the boy wonder's eyes watching her from the living room now. "Uhh, Raven, the power went out last night, and we wanted to ask you for candles..." Raven's teeth unclenched as she released her breath. She explained that she must not have heard them knock in her trance. That was close.

"Well, that's what I thought, so I let myself in" piped in Beast Boy with disinterest. Raven's hands moved to seize the countertop. Her second eyes were burning now. How many times had she demanded that they stay out of her room? How many times had she threatened Beast Boy in particular? She remembered specifically threatening to mount his head on her wall just for trying to use her personal bathroom once. There was an unsettling silence, and the empath could feel everything in that moment. The pulse in her neck was throbbing. Her heartbeat flooded her ears. Robin was a beacon of curiosity with a twinge of suspicion. Beast Boy, however, exuded annoyance and discontent far too strong for this situation. It was so uncharacteristic of him. Shouldn't he be a mess of exposed nerves and fear at the thought of what she would do to him?

Raven wasn't cruel, but she found that it was best to keep people at a distance especially people like Beast Boy. As a general rule he was loyal to a fault, sweet, thoughtful, attentive, and too much maintenance for someone as fucked up as Raven to keep close. What could she have done to upset him? Or… he knew where she had been. Whatever he might know, he kept it to himself. Robin was just his normal nosy self. He didn't have a clue.

Raven turned to them as casually as possible. Her inky black hair hung like a curtain around her porcelain face. She pursed her lips, pondering darkly. "I went for a walk around the tower late last night. Maybe I missed you," she said as way of explanation to Robin. She turned her countenance to Beast Boy a little more sternly. "If you ever feel the urge to enter my room without permission again, then **_I beseech you_** to fight it or it may be the last thing you ever do." She flashed her eyes at him for good measure, but didn't press the issue since he was keeping whatever he knew to himself.

"Who wants pizza?" she called out instead.

Starfire's bright locks swept around the corner before her golden face. "I would love the pizza, friend Raven!" she chirped. The room blossomed with her sweet rosy aura. It was such a relief after the heaviness that was hanging in the air. Being an empath in the tower used to be pretty manageable between Star and Beast Boy's exuberant emotional ambience and the cooler more mellow auras of Robin and Cy.

If anything, the positive vibes could be a little overwhelming. On the day that Starfire brought Silkie home, Raven had to meditate for hours just to quell the sense of emotional suffocation. Living with so many roommates had certainly taught her to balance time with each and assuage the pressure of all the feelings in the house. Lately though Beast Boy had not been a dependable source of lighthearted glee. He put up a good front, but his aura stained the air around him a dull green-grey. She wanted to know why, but most people felt like her power was an invasion of their privacy. She couldn't help it, but that wasn't usually enough to get her off the hook. He would ask if he needed help. Right?

Cyborg joined them in decimating 3 large pizzas. He nearly ate one to himself. He kept the conversation pretty lively while doing so. Apparently he had a breakthrough concerning the T car's proton cannon. Most of what he said was incomprehensible, but Robin nodded along, so perhaps it was just her. His enthusiasm did nothing to drown out Beast Boy's angst though. She kept her head shrouded in her cloak as she tried to wait an appropriate amount of time before leaving her friends to recharge.

When she had endured all of the ups and downs that she could handle for one night, she rose from her seat as the second gloomiest Titan and drifted to the wall. "I'm going for a walk. Good night. Don't go in my room" she spoke grimly and absolutely then phased through the wall.

Raven stood outside the tower resting against a rounded boulder for about 5 minutes when Beast Boy appeared. "Hey, Rae." The bounce in his step was noticeably missing. She was supposed to be the only brooding one in this house.

She asked if he was okay. That was surely okay. He stepped closer and her eyes were drawn to the shadows along the sharp planes of his cheeks and smooth jawline. Seemingly overnight he had become much less boyish. He even requested that they stop calling him Beast Boy a few weeks ago. The way he asked was so serious that no one but Cyborg really poked much fun about it. She couldn't bring herself to call him Changeling though. It felt like a name for a thing not a person. She called him BB which seemed okay with him for now. Her eyes began to wander down as they sometimes did when she was alone with him. She mentally traced his protruding collar bone, broad shoulders, long sinewy arms and began to note the lines cut into his torso even through his uniform.

Suddenly her attention snapped back to his lidded green eyes not because she had caught herself ogling him, oh no, but because a wave of self-satisfaction hit her full force.. His smirk confirmed that he had caught her himself. Her cheeks were inflamed, and she pulled her hood a little further down. "I said, 'Are you okay, BB? I can tell that something is up," she repeated.

That did it. Beast Boy wasn't so smug anymore. In fact he was at least a little angry. "I know where you were last night, Rae. It won't take long for Robin to wonder why you would go for a walk in a thunderstorm, and if you don't want me to tell the rest of the team, then you had better have something amazing to offer me."


	2. In the dead of night

He wouldn't be Robin if he didn't just show up unannounced. The weather was only slightly better than the night before. Normally Raven would have enjoyed the dreary clouds heavy with rain, but tonight she was far too stressed. The boy wonder approached in the fog with his staff in hand. A normal human wouldn't have noticed his silent footfalls over the sounds of the ocean stirring and the bugs chirping. What now?

"There's a hurricane warning for the outskirts of Jump City. It's time to get inside, Titans," he said spinning his staff around as if distracting an invisible foe. The crickets went silenced as he cut the air with sharp efficient strokes.

Lightning cracked the sky wide open with white and purple light. Just then Cyborg's voice could be heard from the door, "Boo-yah! It's hurricane party time, y'all!" Raven rolled her eyes. She had no intention of staying up listening to thunder and… Wait, she saw the lightning, but where was the thunder?

She searched the sky and caught another flash of lightning. She could hear rain pounding the waves in the distance and coming this way. She turned to face the other Titans as the torrent reached them. Robin ran inside faster than seems possible for a human boy, but Beast Boy stood there with his hair standing on end even as the clouds burst.

"Something's wrong, Rae. Doesn't something feel unnatural to you?" Only a moment ago Raven was so worried about keeping her secret, but now she had bigger fish to fry. She snorted as she considered what Beast Boy might think of that saying.

Her milky white hand reached out and grabbed Beast Boy's wrist. In a moment they vanished into a portal beneath their feet and into the living room with eyes wide. The television was deafening as if the Titans wanted to suck in as much noise as possible in case the power went out again. The microwave was popping popcorn. Teenage boys didn't have stomachs; they had bottomless pits thought Raven absently.

With both hands raised above her head she began chanting her mantra "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" followed by "Shut up, guys!" Her black orbs of power silenced the TV and the microwave. Her voice silenced her friends.

With all eyes on her including Beast Boy's, she continued. "Doesn't something seem to be missing to you guys?" she challenged. Darkness enveloped them. "Cyborg, where are the back up lights? Shouldn't a generator be kicking in or something?" she asked. Star's hands lit the room with a greenish glow.

Sassy as always, Cyborg reported "It was acting up yesterday too. I'm not pointing any fingers, but **_someone_** was twirling his little baton in the power room last week. Isn't that right?" All eyes in the room shifted to Robin.

"No one complains about my baton twirling when it's saving your asses!" Robin started.

"Thunder, guys!" Beast Boy cut in. "Where is the thunder?" The hair on his arms was prickled. Raven realized that she was still holding his wrist. She dropped her hand self-consciously. He turned his eyes to her face and then across the room to look at each of the Titans. "My animal instinct is screaming to get out of here, guys. Something is seriously wrong."

The eerie green light did nothing to relax the team as the deafening silence iced their veins. As if to prove BB's point another flash of lightning burst outside the window much too close to write off as heat lightning. The storm was right on top of them not to mention the crisp fall air.

Robin, ever the detective, growled "Who do we know that can create his own lightning?" He stalked toward the emergency stairs with the team following behind. The scent of buttery goodness filled the air as Cyborg opened his bag of half popped kernels.

"Whaaat? You can't expect me to give up the hurricane party and my popcorn in the same night!" Beast Boy despite looking serious took a handful and shoved the popcorn in his mouth. Boys... The end of the world couldn't curb their appetites.

Robin halted in front of the staircase. "It's just a hunch, but it seems like Lightning might have something to do with this."

Beast Boy came to his defense, "He's not a bad guy, and I've never heard of him working without Thunder anyway." Beast Boy was right that the two supernatural brothers were rarely seen apart and hadn't wreaked havoc since becoming honorary titans. The evidence was pretty damning though.

Robin looked sympathetic knowing that BB had forged a connection with the brothers over a year ago when they first met. "Hopefully I'm wrong, but for now be on alert. You guys take to the air and keep your eyes out for any trouble. I'm going to see if there's any explanation being given by the local meteorologist." He headed for the garage, no doubt dreading taking his bike to the city in this weather.

The guys headed for the balcony regretfully. Raven could sense that the general consensus was that there had better be something wrong. Starfire even looked a tad grumpy. She stroked her fiery pink mane mournfully. She admitted that she wasn't happy about the direction that her evening had taken either, but at least she could shield herself from the storm with a simple forcefield.

Beast Boy snagged her arm and whispered to her that they had more to discuss when this was settled. He brushed by her a bit too close to be friendly and into the night air. The devilish glint in his eyes left her shivering.

No sooner than upon receiving word from Robin that something supernatural was definitely afoot, did Cyborg find Lightning hunched against a satellite on a rooftop south of the city. It was apparent that he was spent. Overexertion was not in his usual fun-loving nature.

"What are you doing here?" he gasped. "It's not safe for you." Forget a full interrogation, Cyborg couldn't even get a word in before the hero collapsed at his feet. The rain lessened but continued to fall, but the lightning was nowhere to be seen.

The recap that Cyborg offered was a bit winded as he hauled a large battery from his personal storage into the open space in the basement. Heavy for Cyborg meant at least 30 tons. Star's star bolts crackled illuminating Cyborg's glistening forehead with their radioactive green glow.

He was explaining with some effort that he was sure that something was wrong with Lightning and recalled the sinister warning that he gave before passing out. He was hooking the mischievous young man to the battery with a series of jumper cables when Robin barged in dripping. Starfire gave a quick recap while Beast Boy attempted to help hook Cyborg up to the battery as well.

A large enough shock should revive Lightning although it might also paralyze him. Cy gripped the edge of the battery and exerted himself pushing energy into his lost comrade. Raven realized this was the equivalent of revving an engine when jumping a car battery. She might have found the image funny in another instance, but she was holding her breath watching Cy fall to his knees in exhaustion. Their robot friend waved Robin away from him and toward Lightning.

Lightning winced, and the other Titans surrounded him, save Cyborg who was pulling wires from his chest. "Slade has Thunder" he rasped and then threw his head back screeching in agony until he passed out again.

Robin held his arm out to halt Cyborg. "You saved his life. He needs rest and so do you." Cyborg looked unconvinced, but the fact that he wasn't fighting back proved Robin's point. "You won't be of use to anyone if you're hurt too."

Robin might have the most history with Slade, but no one feared him as much as Raven. He had made it clear on multiple occasions that he wanted her power and would seize it when she least expected it. Robin chimed up in his best stern leader voice breaking Raven's train of thought. "That goes for the rest of you too, Titans. It's time to rest. We all need to be at our best to handle this in the morning."

…

Raven found herself tossing and turning like the waves just outside her window. Slade was up to something again, she had stayed out hunting for Lightning and hadn't called to cancel her plans, not to mention that Beast Boy knew where she had been spending her evenings. Speaking of the deviant, he was the only Titan still awake in the house. She was outside of his door before she knew where her feet were taking her. Music was playing inside. Good music. Was that Brand New?

"Beast Boy" she whispered knowing that he would hear her. The music quieted. His bare feet padded across the floor. He opened the door in a t-shirt and boxer briefs. His hair was a disheveled halo that was more messy-sexy than messy-sleepy.

"Yeah, Rae?" He had a lazy smile on his face. "Come to settle a deal?" She was suddenly aware of her appearance. Her dark eyes were no longer lined with charcoal and she stood before him in a large black t-shirt that ghosted her mid-thigh. Her cheeks flamed.

"Beast Boy, can I stay with you tonight?" Her voice sounded smaller than she intended. His forehead creased with concern despite her name flub. "I just really need a friend right now."

"If it's easier for you, you can call me Garfield" he replied stepping to the side. He reached one hand up to ruffle his hair. The movement revealed a little strip of his midsection. The two inches of exposed flesh made Raven flush again. His stomach was lean from training and had a thin trail of dark green hair leading-

 ** _Leading no where_** Raven corrected herself. She was even more surprised when she stepped into his bedroom. It had been ages since Raven had ventured into the hazard area that BB called home, but now she saw that the room was fairly tidy.

Beast Boy's bed was situated between two nightstands. One had an old black alarm clock, and the other had a metal lamp. His wrinkled dark blue sheets even looked like they had been laundered within the last couple of weeks. He had a modern computer desk set up near his window with an old stereo just above it. A few shirts were tossed over the chair and the edge of his laundry basket, but nothing unmanageable.

Lastly a lone bookshelf dominated the right wall. She walked past him and stopped in front of it. Upon examination this book shelf only housed a handful of sci-fi and science books. Most of the shelves were laden with CD's, games, and nerdy action figures. She was both mortified and strangely pleased to see her own figure on the shelf next to dragons, elves, and aliens.

She picked it up then replaced it wordlessly. Beast Boy sat on his bed looking unsure for once of what to do or say. Raven walked around the room and settled on the other side of the bed enjoying the new voice crooning from his speakers. She climbed beneath the sheet and pulled the thick comforter over her shoulders.

"Are you coming to bed?" she asked shyly.

"Sure, Rae," he responded in a gravelly voice heavy with emotion. Even as an empath it was difficult to sort through the many emotions brewing in Beast Boy. He climbed beneath the blankets, turned off his lamp with an audible click, and stared at the glow-in-the-dark stars that littered his ceiling.

"Garfield?"

"Yes, Rae?"

"Thank you." She whispered and shifted to lay her head against him. She used one of her arms to hold herself tight and wrapped the other around her friend. He turned to encapsulate her. Her head was tucked against his chest and she could feel his heartbeat against her cheek. His aura was a soft pink. His feelings lingered between worry and adoration now. She didn't know how to process that second one, so she closed her eyes and just enjoyed the safe feeling of his warm body cradling her tonight.


	3. Take these broken wings

A/N: Alert! Alert! This is not the most exciting chapter to ever exist, but it is mercifully short for you guys. I'm well aware as you will be soon enough. Because I know that it doesn't satisfy, I'll get another chapter out asap. Thank you! 3

* * *

Three weeks prior…

How many times can a person consecutively listen to The Scientist before Chris Martin physically materializes wielding a katana and offering a mercy kill? The song was about 4 or so minutes long, and Garfield had been staring at his ceiling for, oh, about… He tilted his head to peek at the red fragmented numbers on his alarm clock… Two and a half hours. He furrowed his brow at the glow-in-the-dark universe above him. One hundred and fifty minutes divided by four is 37? 38? So definitely more than 38, Beast Boy mused.

Doing math voluntarily was a sure sign that he had been alone with his thoughts for far too long. He had spent at least half of that time debating who would win in a fight between a grizzly and a nile crocodile (on land of course). He had been both, and honestly, he still wasn't sure.

Cyborg was on a date tonight. Sure, he could have asked his friend to cancel for a night of junk food and video games, but he didn't want to bring up the anniversary of his parents' deaths. Not out loud. Not when he didn't even know how to feel about it himself. Today always left Beast Boy at a loss. There was a gaping hole left in his life in the shape of two people that he both hated and loved and sometimes -without his permission- missed.

Although his entire Titan family was well acquainted with loss, his mind naturally drifted to a certain dark-haired goddess. From the moment that he met Raven, he had never felt more captivated by another person. She was as tortured and self-loathing as he was in those days. She may have been closed off, but she was raw underneath that. Robin had once said that Rae was the most hopeful person that he had ever met, and Beast Boy couldn't help but agree. She was ethereal, terrifying, and constantly sick of his shenanigans. She was much like the cruel yet striking and inexorable force of nature.

Beast Boy related to the feeling of not belonging anywhere, although by the time he met the other Titans, he knew well how to cover any emotional turmoil with a well-placed fart joke. Don't misunderstand; he didn't by any means live in a state of perpetual torment. Like any teenage boy mutated by and then orphaned by his parents, he just had his ups and downs.

It goes without saying that this was one of his downs. That was when he heard the very strange sound that turned his bad day into the black hole that would consume the next few weeks of his life.

A sharp knock landed- not on a door, but a window. It was long past dark outside, and there were only so many people that could be hovering 130 feet off the ground outside. Raven and Beast Boy share the west wing, but Raven never had company over.

He felt his skin heat and his fists and jaw clench. If that dumbass Aqualoser was balanced on a wave outside, he had picked the wrong night to try his luck. Not only was Garfield ready to cockblock him into a state of perpetual blue balls, but he was going to throw a toaster oven at him for good measure.

He stormed to the window enraged by his imagined foe only to see a red ribbon guided by some magical breeze slip into Raven's outstretched hand. Again her delicate beauty struck him. The moonlight kissed her porcelain skin in a way that made her glow brighter. He could see that she was born to reside in the darkness, tempting and destroying all who crossed her path. She was destroying him even now. She hesitated at the window taking an audible breath, well, audible to him.

Suddenly Beast Boy wondered if that note foretold of a suitor worse than that pool noodle with legs? He stomped over to take his place among the crumpled sheets and blankets only to drive himself to the brink of insanity conjuring up the worst possible messages that the ribbon could have carried. After tossing and turning and then tossing some more, he had endured long enough.

He felt as small as he actually was when he slipped under Raven's door and landed on her plush black carpet. Did this count as stalking? No, of course not. He tried in vain to convince himself that this was appropriate for a concerned friend to do. But his fly on the wall plan was unnecessary. Raven was nowhere to be seen. The red ribbon lay discarded in her wastebasket.

"The Black Cat. Midnight."

Beast Boy flew to the darkest part of Jump City wondering what kind of guy would plan a date at this shady "Jazz" club. The music was far closer to EDM featuring what might be interpreted as jazz undertones. The people dancing to this beat were dipping and grinding in an E- fueled stupor. His eight spider eyes scanned the room until they caught Raven's indigo hood. The hunting prowess of a wolf spider got him to the low-hanging door behind the bar, but without a magic invitation or incantation, he wasn't getting any further.

The night wore on with one hypnotic beat bleeding into the next. Sweaty bodies became fewer, but not farther between. The dancing was creeping closer and closer to lewd and lascivious. This club smelled of every sin imaginable which is why Beast Boy didn't smell the change in Raven right away. Maybe he just didn't want to admit it, but during training the next morning, there was no denying it. Raven's every pore was releasing toxins that only he could smell. Raven had taken drugs. His Raven.


	4. And learn to fly

Raven was never like other little girls. Demonic power and foreign magic aside, from a very young age Raven craved the shadows that most children feared. At first Raven's mother had only told her that she was special, but the truth couldn't be sidestepped forever.

Before she discovered that she was an abomination, Raven was already overcome by nightmares each night. She speculated that she might be a vampire or one of the other creatures that she saw in the index of the book of Azar. She couldn't have known how close she was to the truth. She was simply a different kind of demon. The daughter of Trigon; basically demon royalty.

And at the age of 18, she had learned to live with it for the most part. Things that might drive the average person insane were no more than an inconvenient reality to her now.

That may be why a long growl of approval sounded in her throat as she started to wake up. She twisted her body feeling the warm pull in her muscles. Her pretty pink mouth picked up the sounds of pleasure with a soft satisfied groan. She hadn't had a single nightmare, and something smelled glorious. It wasn't often that Raven started the day in such a good mood. Her muscles felt loose and she was unbelievably warm.

Only then did she feel the arm around her waist squeeze her tenderly. She rolled carefully to face Beast Boy. Her relief was instantaneous when she saw that he was clearly still asleep.

Her lungs expanded to fill with his earthy essence. He smelled comforting and refreshing like petrichor and decaying leaves. She made no effort to wriggle out of the circle of his body. Instead she took this chance to gaze at him without shame and treasure this physical contact. Raven rarely experienced physical intimacy.

One of her many selves was intoxicated by the closeness. She wanted to press her lips against his flesh and feel the soft warmth if only to prove to herself that he was real. His skin was smooth and flawless like he was carved out of stone instead of flesh and bone.

She squeezed her arm between their bodies with caution. Her fingers were drawn to his pointed ears. They were sexy to Raven in the same way that a foreign accent might be to a normal girl. It became evident that they were pretty sensitive too when Raven traced the shell of his ear with her fingernails. For one his arm seized her tighter, and for two he purred in his throat and nuzzled his head deeper into his pillow.

There was a quick crushing pressure in Raven's chest at the sight. He was so… precious. Even in his human form, he reminded her of a sweet puppy.

She distantly remembered life outside of this cozy little corner of the world. She needed to set up plans for tonight. She could already feel the effects of her missed appointment. She needed to get out of here before Beast Boy woke up. What if someone else came in? Her eyes shifted to the door with anxiety then back to the peaceful face just above her.

She was wrapped up in his limbs and like a cat stuck in a tree, there seemed to be no way out. Perhaps if her treatment continues to go well, then she could permit herself to feel things for him. Raven had learned much about the dangers of suppressing feelings in the past few years, but she had learned the dangers of uncontained feelings over a lifetime. There had never been a more dangerous time to let her emotions get out of hand. Her stare moved to his soft full lips as her fingers absently brushed his fringe from his eyes.

She could figure out if someone was coming if she was vigilant she told herself. She pushed her shadow self towards the door and locked it with ease. When might she get another opportunity like this? Regretfully they still had a lot to talk about anyway. With that final thought, Raven nestled her head against his other arm and settled into his warmth.

Her fingers traced the shape of his lips. They were pouty in his sleep. Then stroked them gently when he did not wake up. His feelings were muddled by sleepiness, but his lips parted to let out what could only be described as a whimper.

Raven flinched at the sound feeling something dark blossoming low in her stomach and twisting in her chest. Perhaps she should have stopped then, but her hand slid just between them back down Beast Boy's chest. Raven's hands slipped under Beast Boy's shirt to feel the skin that had taunted her only last night. Her eyes were lidded with a dark pleasure as her desire became reality.

Her fingers stroked his flat stomach in slow circles before slipping under the waistband of his briefs. Her thumbs settled in the hollows of his hip bones where she traced the shape in wonder. After a series of steadying breaths, she snuggled closer to him hoping to let the sound of his heartbeat slow her own.

She peaked over her shoulder at the crimson dashes on his alarm clock. 04:23. She had suspected that it was much later, but her rejuvenating sleep had only taken a couple of hours. No one with the exception of Robin would be up until at least 9 after the late and exhausting night they had endured.

Beast Boy's dreams were much the same tonight as any night. Some nights he slayed dragons or ran through the hills on hooved feet, but most nights meant Raven wrapped up in his arms. Tonight she was snoring faintly with her soft pink lips puckered in an adorable way that brought a sleepy smile to his face.

He may be angry with the real Raven, but dream Raven was still in his good graces. Her hands rested under his shirt with her fingers spread wide holding them against each other and her smooth bare legs were tangled around him. Every curve of her body pressed firmly against him in an equally delicious and comforting way.

Beast Boy breathed her in and sighed. Perhaps he was finally forgetting her true scent. The sharp metallic smell of her intoxicated blood was faint and mixed with a heady scent of desire. Beast Boy's blood flowed south beneath the blankets.

Before you judge the green hero too harshly, be informed that not every dream with Raven meant tumultuous depravity. His dreams of Raven were of them playing video games, drinking coffee or tea in her case, and more often than anything else arguing.

Beast Boy dreamed of arguing with Raven over what movie to watch, over how his hair should be cut, and even over how many times you can wear the same jeans before they have to be washed. In these dreams they would sneak smiles and poke at each other as they pretended that they weren't irrevocably in love.

But the moment Beast Boy's eyes opened in this one, he knew that he wanted her. This Raven looked far too perfect. He had imagined her a million ways with messy hair, ball gowns, or even freckles on her shoulders, but this was the most beautiful Raven that he had conjured up yet. Even in the muted light, her skin shimmered like she was powdered in diamond dust. Her hair clung to her neck and cheeks.

More than anything else, this Raven looked so small and vulnerable. He'd rarely found himself able to imagine Raven so unguarded. In sleep her countenance was peaceful and angelic and very very human. This was the side of Raven that had changed everything for him the first day they met when Raven was almost shy in her reserve.

In only one moment Beast Boy's fantasy was snatched away as he noticed the alarm clock on his nightstand, the stereo playing white noise in the background, the uneven blinds in his window… This wasn't a dream. He discreetly adjusted himself in case she woke up while simultaneously trying not to feel like such a creep.

He dropped his head into his pillow and squeezed his eyes shut. Despite this moment of personal humiliation, this was the most physically intimate moment that he had ever shared with his self-professed soulmate. His brow remained furrowed mournfully, but his eyes peeked open and slid to the immaculate unattainable beauty beside him. Her violet eyes were peering back at him.

She shut her eyes quickly, but reopened them after a few seconds knowing that she had been caught.

"Hi," her brittle morning voice cut through the silence.

"Hi," he responded waiting for more words to follow. "Good morning," he breathed after a moment.

Raven studied him for a moment not sure what to make of the mix of emotions that had been following Beast Boy these days. She had wrongly assumed that no one would ever challenge her position as the most emotionally muddled Titan.

A heavy burden of shame extinguished all thoughts of decoding him immediately as she realized just how intimately she was situated. She sat up slowly trying not to draw too much attention to her blunder. She had assumed that she would reawaken long before her bedmate. Her cheeks flushed at the thought of her brazen choices last night. She untangled her long legs and attempted to straighten her bedhead before plunging her hands into the mass of blankets in her lap.

"Umm. I'm sorry," she spoke to her buried hands. The gifted demoness knew that only a few months ago, this situation would have thrilled Beast Boy and perhaps made **_him_** nervous, but now those feelings were just swimming in a stew of his melded emotions. What did she expect? Now that he knew, his feelings couldn't last she thought dully. This thought hardened her a bit.

"I don't want to talk about what's been going on with me. I want to know how you figured it out, and what you want." Her jaw clenched as she forced herself to reign in her anger. Today was going to be more difficult than what she had endured in weeks. How had she managed to control herself before her treatments? Were her changes getting worse?

"Rae," he started gently, but after a pause his voice changed as if he thought better of being too considerate. "I don't like that you're lying to the team. That you lied to me…"

Her head snapped towards him. Then she pulled herself to the edge of the bed feeling odd sitting beside him while having this fight. "I didn't ask what you liked. I **_did_** ask you two questions. Feel free to answer those," she spoke bitingly.

A growl ripped from Beast Boy's throat. "Raven, maybe you should recognize that I have the upper hand at the moment. You should stop talking down to me just because you think I'll take it. How I found out isn't important. You could probably guess if you haven't already."

He also climbed from the bed and Raven scrutinized his movements over her shoulder. His eyes frisked her body like a predator and then stilled on hers continuing to inspect her. He prowled toward her skimming his fingertips across his chair as he stalked closer. She felt herself scooting back onto the bed yearning for an inch of extra space between her and this much sterner Beast Boy.

His body moved so smoothly to lean into her that she only leaned back onto her elbows feeling more like lunch by the minute.

Beast Boy chuckled darkly. "Are you scared, Rae?" His warm breath touched her cheek making her feel trapped.

She cleared her throat hoping to keep her voice steady. "No." The success of her clear voice was short-celebrated when his smile became absolutely devious.

Raven couldn't help but wonder why now? Was he trying to get under her skin while she was weak? Did he enjoy tormenting her for the danger she was bringing upon them all? She didn't dare ask why he was keeping her secret. Perhaps he trusted her to handle herself like she had in the past?

Her eyes searched for answers that she hadn't asked for. He doesn't know everything, but he knows far too much all the same she thought. And if her demonic side gets any more powerful, then any weakness could become a casualty.

When her lips touched his, red hot energy coursed through her blood. Her eyes were closed, but she still saw white as if she were lying in the Sun. She felt herself leaning back on her elbows. His mouth opened to suckle her lower lip and he slid up her body like a serpent. His hands were at her throat, her hips, the nape of her neck, the small of her back, her hair, **_everywhere_**. It took Raven several moments to realize that she had initiated the kiss. 

Was she losing control already?


End file.
